All hiring managers have their favorite interview questions —
some pepper candidates with impossible brainteasers, while others
take a more relaxed approach.

The New York Times' Adam Bryant recently interviewed Cindi Leive, editor-in-chief
of Glamour
magazine, about leadership, management, and hiring.

Leive shared with Bryant her go-to interview
questions.

"I always ask people why they want the
job," she told Bryant. "There's not one right answer,
but I want to see that there is a reason."

She also she wants a candidate to convince her of their
value by saying "something along the lines of: 'I really want
this position. I think I could do something great with it, and
I'd be so excited to join your team,'" she told Bryant. "I'm
always pleased when somebody does that."

Her second favorite is, "What would you be doing if you weren't in
this business at all?" With this question she is hoping to get a
sense of what people's lives look like outside of work, and wants
to ensure that they value a work-life balance. "I have
definitely seen that people who have full lives are not just
happier but also tend to be better at their jobs," she
explained.

As for the rest of Leive's interview questions, she says
they're designed to give her an idea of the candidates enthusiasm
and curiosity. "At least half the questions I ask are to just
hear how the person talks when they respond. Are they confident?
Are they interested? Have they thought through a few stories
before the interview?"